Aren't you a bit styled up for classes?

[dieworkwear]

There's something to be said about dressing how you want, but as a guy who has taught college classes, I'll also say that ... college students who wear sport coats to class don't look good. They look awkward. And often like the kind of students who can't wait to tell you about Ayn Rand during office hours.

I think you should try something more casual. I say that as someone who loves tailored clothing and isn't generally one to obsess about blending in. Just think college is a special time where dressing like others can make it easier to have a social life.

Also, there's an entire world of options between sweatpants and blazers.

 

[comrade]

They look awkward. And often like the kind of students who can't wait to tell you about Ayn Rand during office hours.

So, sport coats= (proto) Fascists. When I was in school,eons ago, even Marxists
may have worn sport coats

 

[jrd617]

Don't do this.

 

[Caustic Man]

I'm not sure what the point of the thread is. The OP seems to have made a statement that comes from the middle of a conversation that I haven't seen. Wear what you want, I guess. Right? Everyone will have dozens of reason why what you are doing is right or wrong but no one has to live in your shoes but you.

But more specifically, the perception people will have of you is context dependent. If you walked onto the campus of the University of Chicago then it wouldn't be unusual to see students in jackets. Not everyone does it there but some do. If you were to do the same on the campus of the University of Illinois at Chicago you'd be dressed very differently indeed. But you know what? In either case people will get used to you. They will adapt to the fact that you wear sweatpants, or jackets, and before long they won't even notice it. It's neither a good idea nor a bad idea to wear a jacket to classes.

It is, however, always a good idea to do your best, strive to learn, and to generate the best academic results you can. Those things mean much more than the clothes you wear.

 

[dieworkwear]

I'm not sure what the point of the thread is. The OP seems to have made a statement that comes from the middle of a conversation that I haven't seen. Wear what you want, I guess. Right? Everyone will have dozens of reason why what you are doing is right or wrong but no one has to live in your shoes but you.

But more specifically, the perception people will have of you is context dependent. If you walked onto the campus of the University of Chicago then it wouldn't be unusual to see students in jackets. Not everyone does it there but some do. If you were to do the same on the campus of the University of Illinois at Chicago you'd be dressed very differently indeed. But you know what? In either case people will get used to you. They will adapt to the fact that you wear sweatpants, or jackets, and before long they won't even notice it. It's neither a good idea nor a bad idea to wear a jacket to classes.

It is, however, always a good idea to do your best, strive to learn, and to generate the best academic results you can. Those things mean much more than the clothes you wear.

I got accepted to University of Chicago for grad school, and on my campus visit, the dress norms didn't seem that different from any of the other schools I was visiting. Outside of the fact that people were more bundled up because of the weather. This was true of both grad and undergrad students.

 

[J o s h]

You're going to college to get an education, a job, and to start your career. You're not there to impress or even really get along...

I don't agree with this. A huge part of the value of the undergraduate experience is for young people to find themselves in the world, and to encounter and mix with people who may be different. Some of the best college education occurs outside the classroom.

 

[notdos]

Dress for Success.
I received a promotion this week. I do good work. Others do good work. I dress well. Others dress comfortably.

Phillip

 

[comrade]

I got accepted to University of Chicago for grad school, and on my campus visit, the dress norms didn't seem that different from any of the other schools I was visiting. Outside of the fact that people were more bundled up because of the weather. This was true of both grad and undergrad students.

I attended grad school there in the 70s and remained in Hyde Park
in the 80s. I dressed more or less like I do now- Ivy derived, tweedy,
at the same time that many of my classmates dressed like Che Guevara.
It didn't affect my social life even when I showed up in a tux for a New
Years Eve party hosted by fellow students.

 

[dieworkwear]

I attended grad school there in the 70s and remained in Hyde Park
in the 80s. I dressed more or less like I do now- Ivy derived, tweedy,
at the same time that many of my classmates dressed like Che Guevara.
It didn't affect my social life even when I showed up in a tux for a New
Years Eve party hosted by fellow students.

Sure, but the 70s isn't so far from the immediate post war period when wearing tailored clothing wasn't as unusual. A suit or sport coat is more unusual today, and even moreso among students. It carries a certain connotation.

You don't have to care. When I was an undergrad, I had a blue sport coat that I'd occasionally wear. But it carries a certain connotation, and without knowing exactly how the OP dresses and his environment, I'd broadly generalize and say it's not the best idea for an undergrad. Frankly, it looks a bit dorky.

 

[J o s h]

On most US campuses today it would be cosplay.

 

[CBrown85]

Wearing a cheap sportcoat =/= being well dressed.

Dress is contextual, and if my years on SF has taught me anything, dress for context. That obviously doesn't mean wear baggy sweats around all day, but it also doesn't mean you need to wander campus in a Banana Republic cotton sport coat with your UniQlo jeans and think you're the prince of wales. Fart around in SW&D for a while, or r/MaleFashionAdvice and develop your own style that doesn't immediately make you feel uncomfortable around your peers.

Because, if you truly felt comfortable in your clothes, you wouldn't have posted the question here.

 

[dieworkwear]

Maybe not applicable to this specific thread, but as a related note, sometimes I see people online lament how students don't "dress up" for class anymore. That they show up to university in sweats instead of sport coats.

Tuition nowadays at a top-end university can cost anywhere from $15k to $45k a year. Books and materials, per class, can run into the hundreds. Then there's housing, which costs more and more every year, especially if you go to school in or around a big city.

These students are often pressured to study 25 hours a day and take up unpaid summer activities, such as research positions. They don't have time for part time jobs and are often paying for these expenses using student loans. And people want them to spend $500 on a well-made sport coat from SuitSupply, with the $200 trouser and $200 shoes? Imagine multiplying that a few times for a wardrobe.

When it comes to talking about how college students should dress, some people seem woefully out of touch with reality. And, anyway, there are plenty of ways to look presentable without wearing a coat and tie. Go to Uniqlo, Urban Outfitters, H&M, etc. Visit a thrift store and get a cool milsurp jacket. Wear some jeans, along with Vans, Chuck Taylors, or Stan Smiths. There are lots of ways to look great in that stuff.

 

[purpleporing]

I don't agree with this. A huge part of the value of the undergraduate experience is for young people to find themselves in the world, and to encounter and mix with people who may be different. Some of the best college education occurs outside the classroom.

No problem. But even if we accept social experiences as a "huge part of the value" of the "undergraduate experience," as you put it, I don't see how that's mutually exclusive with OP deciding to wear what he likes. I tend to find that I don't particularly regret not having associated with certain people (and those certain people might include people who would make fun of others for what they decide to wear). There are always plenty of other people to encounter and mix with--especially on a college campus--who might still be different. In fact, I'd say that's part of "finding yourself in the world." I've made plenty of friends and professional connections just being myself, and I can recognize the type of people with whom I'd probably never be able to strike a friendship with. And that's fine.

I do totally agree with dieworkwear that "there are plenty of ways to look presentable without wearing a coat and tie," though. No reason not to expand your horizons and find a good middle ground that makes you look and feel good while still being, I suppose, "socially acceptable."

 

[Patrick R]

In my experience, people that get mocked for what they wear nearly universally deserve it. In every instance that I’ve encountered, when someone complains about people commenting on what they wear or insisting that other people don’t appreciate someone that dresses well, the speaker has a false perspective on what he or she looks like in what he or she is wearing.

I read a post somewhere on the forum in the last day or so where the poster said that women don’t appreciate a man in classic menswear and no one could convince him otherwise. Based on my experience in menswear, I don’t think it’s the clothing that’s the problem.

 

[J o s h]

@purpleporing my main point is that it would be a shame if this kid let his ideas about the proper way to dress get in the way of meeting people or of having people approach him.